Award-winning actress Catherine O’Hara has passed away at the age of 71. The actress’s manager confirmed earlier reports to People on Friday, though no additional details were immediately available. Remembered by a generation as Kevin McCallister’s mom in the Home Alone movies, O’Hara was also in modern-day classics such as Beetlejuice, Christopher Guest mockumentaries like Best in Show, and the series Schitt’s Creek.
Catherine O’Hara’s Early Career
O’Hara, the sixth of seven children, was born in Canada in 1954. While not from a show business family—her father worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway and her mother was a real estate agent—the future comedian discovered theater at a young age. After high school, O’Hara worked as a waitress at Toronto’s famous Second City Theatre.
Catherine O’Hara in SCTV – YouTube, SCTV
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After an initial rejection, she joined the company in 1974. When the theater started a TV show, Second City Television (SCTV), O’Hara became known for her celebrity impressions and original characters. While working as a writer on the show, she received five Emmy nominations, winning her first award.
Her breakout film role was in Martin Scorsese’s 1985 black comedy After Hours, where she played Gail, an ice cream truck driver who becomes a foil to the film’s protagonist. Three years later, O’Hara was cast in Tim Burton’s iconic Beetlejuice as Delia Deetz. She reprised the role in 2024’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Catherine O’Hara at the 81st Venice International Film Festival – Photo Credit: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
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In 1990, O’Hara played Kate McCallister, the mom in the holiday classic Home Alone, where she shared several memorable scenes with her SCTV alum John Candy. She was also in the 1992 sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. But in 1994, O’Hara took a dramatic role in Lawrence Kasdan’s Wyatt Earp as Allie Earp, the famous lawman’s sister-in-law.
A Return to Improv and Television
1996 saw O’Hara returning to her improv roots when she appeared in Guest’s Waiting for Guffman. It was the first of four projects she did with the director. Her performance in the 2006 film For Your Consideration, where she played an actress swept up in Oscar buzz, generated real-life award consideration and netted her several prestigious wins.
Throughout the mid-2000s, O’Hara made numerous TV guest-star appearances on shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, 30 Rock, and Modern Family.
Catherine O’Hara in Schitts Creek – Amazon Prime TV
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Throughout her career, going all the way back to her time at Second City Theatre, O’Hara frequently collaborated with Eugene Levy. In 2015, she joined the cast of Schitt’s Creek, a series created by Levy’s son Dan. The Canadian sitcom developed a strong following when it was licensed by Netflix.
For the show’s sixth and final season, O’Hara’s performance as Moira Rose resulted in one of the most historic sweeps in television history. O’Hara won every major award for which she was eligible, including an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and a Critics’ Choice Television Award.
A Lasting Legacy
At the time of her passing, O’Hara had two unreleased projects. She will appear on an upcoming episode of Seth Rogen’s The Studio on Apple TV+. An animated film, The Shadow King, for which she provides the voice of a character named Fern, is currently in post-production.
She is survived by her husband, Bo Welch, and her children. For her many fans, O’Hara leaves behind a lasting legacy of work and laughter.
What are some of your favorite Catherine O’Hara roles? Share your memories in the comments!
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